martin



No. 625,049. Patented May l6, I899. T. P. MARTIN.

ILLUIINATIVE ADVERTISING AND DECORATIVE APPARATUS.

(Applicltion filed June 17, 189B.) 7 (No ll odel.) v 3 Shaets$huot I.

ATTORNEYS No. 625,049. Patented May [6, I899. T. P. MARTIN.

ILLUMINATIVE ADVERTISING AND DECORATIVE APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

4 TTOBA/E VS No. 625,049. Patented my l6, I899.

T. P. MARTIN. ILLUIIIINATIVE ADVERTISING AND DECORATIVE APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 17, 1898.)

3 Shaets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

9 0 0 0 09000000 O 0 0 o ooooooe 0 0 0 A TTOIYIVE YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIMPRON P. MARTIN, OF LIVER-POOL, ENGLAND.

ILLUMINATIVE ADVERTISING AND DECORATIVE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 625,049, dated May 16, 1899. Application filed June 17,1898. Serial No. 683,684. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TrMPRoN PERRY MAR- TIN, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented Improvements in Illuminative Advertising and Decorative Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention the subject of this application relates to apparatus for advertising (including shop and like signs or sign-boards) by which a series or sequence of words, sentences, diagrams, or the like can be exhibited automatically by means of incandescent electric lamps.

According to the invention there is employed a number of movingnamely,rotary parts, as cylinders, having on their peripheries rows of projections parallel with their axes and preferably of the form hereinafter described, while in connection with each of the cylinders there are a series of bars or the like adapted to operate in connection with the cylinder or be operated by it, and which bars are electrically connected or caused to be electrically connected with a number of lamps and so arranged and adapted that when current is passed through them lamps connected with or adapted to be operated and controlled by each bar will be put in and out of illumination by the action of the mechanism, each bar or the like representing and when in action producing by the contacts made a letter or sign by putting a certain set of lamps in illumination.

Apparatus according to this invention constructed in accordance with the characteristics above mentioned is illustrated in the drawings annexed hereto, and the invention will be further explained by their aid.

In the drawings, Figure I is an end view of the main parts of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a front View of the letter-bars and parts connected with them. Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. 4: an end View, showing a general arrangement of parts. Fig. 5 shows a piece of a sign-board or advertising-box showing a suitable arrangement of lamps.

In the drawings, referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, a are the rotary cylinders, e are the contact or letter bars, and i the electric conductors connected by suitable leads or wires with the lamps shown in Fig. 5.

connection with each block of lamps on the lamp board or box this apparatus would produce a single series of illuminated letters or figures. Consequently by the mere multiplication of the cylinders and letter-bars the number of letters, and so the number of words and sentences, can be increased to anything required.

The cylinder a is fixed upon and revolved by the shaft 19, as hereinafter described, and all the cylinders are revolved together. On the periphery of the cylinder there are a large number of rows of holes 0, (or slots could be used, if desired,) in which studs or projections d are screwed or secured in any suitable way, so as to enable them to be easily taken out and moved from hole to hole. In the periphery of each cylinder there are as many rows of holes in the direction of the axis of the cylinder as there are sentences or Words desired to be shown for one revolution, and each axial or horizontal row is composed of as many holes as there are letters, figures, or signs to be shown on the boards, such as any letter of the alphabet, (twenty-six letters,) figures, (nine,) and special signs, such as 85, and

stops, &c., and each of these rows of holes in order and the studs which are fixed in them serve to produce the various letters of the alphabet, (or succession of signs,) as hereinafter described, and according to the letters of which the various words to be produced are comprised, so one or other of the various holes of a row will be filled with a stud.

The bars e, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, are arranged a certain distance apart, which distance corresponds with the holes in the cylinders a, and the holes will be arranged in rings circumferentially in the cylinder at and in the same plane as the bars 6.

The bars 6 are held laterally by bars f, which are slotted at equal intervals to receive them, and they are free to move vertically in these slots, they being supported in the bars f by the springs f, which pull them toward the cylinder a. These bars are normally held oi the conductors 'i by these springs f, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bars 6, each of which will produce on a lamp-board a certain letter by acting in contact with the conductor-bars t', are provided on their lower edges with pro jecting portions 6, which are the only portions of the bars which come in contact with the conductors i. In connection with the letter-bars e and between them and the cylinder at are levers 7t, pivoted on e at 71,. These levers are bent up at their outer ends,.at which part they are acted upon by the pins (Z, while each has a projecting part 77,2 intermediate the ends, which is acted upon by a barrel-cam 7t, mounted on the shaft In.

The conductor-bars i are supported in an insulating-frame j, resting in slots therein at either end upon a small spring 2' to give a slightly-elastic seat.

Each of the conductors i is connected by suitable wires with one lamp in a block of lamps in the boardthat is to say, each block contains a number of lamps, and the number of bars 71 will therefore correspond with this nnmberand in every lamp-block the lamp connected with any of the conductors 2' will be in the same position, and thus to put that lamp in any block in illumination the bars 6 which are required to put that lamp in illumination to produce the letters which they are intended to do must be provided with a projection 6' over that bar. This is represented in the drawings. The bar a in Fig. 1 is shown provided with a number of projeetions e, which are disposed on it above a certain number of conductors 2, which are connected with a certain number of lamps of a lamp-blockconstitutingaletter. WVhen these projections come in contact with the conductors by the movement of the bar 6 toward them, this letter will be produced in the block of lamps connected with the barrel a. In the arrangement shown in the drawings the cylinders a are shown arranged in a series of rows, one above the other, being supported by shafts I), carried on the vertical frame 00. All the cylinders are rotated simultaneously by the vertical shaft Z, bevel-wheels Z on this shaft, and bevel-wheels Z on the shafts b, and the shaft Z is rotated by any suitable known motor or mechanisms at the required rate of speed. At the back of the cylinders a the cams 7c are mounted, a common continuous cam being employed in connection with each cylinder. This cam-shaft and the cams are intermittently rocked forward and backward through the levers n on the cam-shafts and coupling-rod 0, which is moved up and down at the right moment by any suitable known means.

The operation of parts described is as follows: When it is desired to illuminate certain of the lamps in each of the blocks to produce certain words or letters, the shaft lis rotated and revolves the cylinders through the gearing described a distance equal to the pitch of the holes in them. In this action as the free ends of the levers h lie in the paths of these studs or pins certain of the levers will be lifted, and thus the projecting part h of these levers will come in the path of revolution of the tooth 7.0 of the cam 7tand they will be held in this position for a certain time. Then the cam is given a partial rotation and its tooth, acting on the projecting part 71 presses these levers,and with them the letter-bars e,toward the conductor-bars 2' until the projecting parts e rest upon them. Each of the bars 6 and their respective conductors 2' being part of an electric circuit, the circuits of these bars will be closed and the current will flow through certain of the lamps in each of the blocks and produce the desired letters. This condition remains for a certain period, when the cylinders a are again rotated or given partial revolution. The pins of the cylinders will then leave the ends of the levers h, which have been held up, and they will drop, and the letter-bars e are removed from the conductors 2' by the springs g and the circuits broken, and then the operation is repeated.

A part of a sign or advertisment board is shown in Fig. 5, which shows the lamps arranged in blocks. Each lamp of each of these blocks is connected up with a conductor 2' of a cylinder to and its letter-bars e and they are controlled thereby, and accordingly as each of the letter-bars of a cylinder is actuated so will the set of lamps of a block which pro* duces the different letters be put in illumination by its circuit being closed.

Vhat is claimed in respect of the herein* described invention is- 1. In illuminative advertising and decorative apparatus, a plurality of rotative cylinders a, a series of electric-circuit closing and opening devices in connection with each of the said cylinders and operated thereby, and a plurality of blocks of electric lamps in connection with and controlled by each of said cylinders and sets of circuit closing and opening devices, each of said lamps of a block being in circuit with one of the said circuit closing and opening devices; substantially as and for the'purposes set forth.

2. In illuminative advertising and decorative apparatus, a rotative cylinder at with changeable projections 01 thereon; a series of letter-bars 6, each of which is operated by one of said projections; and a series of conductors 5, adapted to act in connection with said bars 6, the said bars e and conductors t' being parts of circuits in which electric lamps are disposed, and each of the said bars 6 being actuated from one of the projections and ac tuating in turn a series of conductors; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In illuminative advertising and decora tive apparatus, the combination of the rotative cylinders 01, with projecting changeable and adjustable studs d thereon; a movable letter-bar e in the same plane as each-of the rings of the stud-holes in the cylinder; means for moving the letter'bar and a series of con ductors i lying at right angles to the letterbars 6, the said bars 6 and conductors being in electric circuits in which electric lamps are disposed.

4. In illuininative advertising and decorative apparatus, the combination of cylinders a with changeable adj ustable-studs d thereon; the letter-bars 6, one of which is adapted to act in connection with .each of the rings of holes in the cylinders; levers h connected with the bars 6 at one end, and operated upon at the other by the studs d; and a cam h [0 adapted to impart longitudinal movement to thelevers g; as and for the purposes set forth. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

TIMPRON P. MARTIN. Witnesses:

JOHN H. WALKER, JNo. W. BROWN. 

